Britain is currently basking in a heatwave, with temperatures set to soar over the next few weeks. Whether you are an office worker looking to make the most of the warm weather by catching up on emails outside, a football fan catching up on the World Cup in the garden or just a sunbather looking to binge your favourite Netflix show, the UK’s leading independent tech retailer Ebuyer has some top tips on how to use your laptop in the sunshine.
Embrace the shade
Not only will taking regular breaks from the sunshine help you avoid any uniform tan lines, but it also gives your laptop a chance to cool down. If the midday sun is making your screen unreadable, moving somewhere covered or placing your laptop in the shade will ensure you don’t miss out on any of the action!
Hike up the brightness
Your instinct may be to turn down the screen brightness in order to combat the screen glare, however, this will actually make it worse. A brighter screen is easier to see in direct light, so although it won’t combat it completely, it will make it more manageable.
Invest in the right equipment
If you are planning to spend a lot of summer making the most of the sunshine, it might be worth looking at equipment that makes using your laptop outside easier. A laptop hood may look silly, but it acts as a cap for your laptop, cutting out the sun’s glare from your screen. Using a laptop stand will ensure the fan is not covered and the laptop won’t overheat - if a stand is available, make sure there is space between the laptop and the surface for air to pass. Some manufacturers offer privacy screens which can be attached to your laptop's screen to reduce glare; although they will help fight the dreaded ‘mirror effect’, it doesn’t usually get rid of it all.
Choose your Screen
Your choice in screen can massively impact the way it reacts to sunlight. Most screens are currently glossy or matte - glossy and matte displays use the same LCD panels, however the major difference between these two types of displays in sunlight is the coating applied to the screen. Glossy displays tend to have more vivid colours and higher contrast- meaning they are pretty useless when they are taken outside in the sunshine. Matte screens have an anti-glare coating applied to them, so they’re much better at preventing reflection- making them better suited to working outside.
Keep an eye on the temperature
Laptop batteries are known for not being heat friendly, so keep an eye on the weather app if you are planning to use your laptop outside for an extended period of time. Most laptops will be fine in up to 30 degrees weather, but using your computer outside in high temperatures risks causing damage to the components of your hard drive - not a conversation you want to be having with your work’s IT department.
Think about your wardrobe choice
You’ll notice brighter colours, especially white, reflect back onto the screen pretty badly, you can often make out your reflection in the screen. Darker colours are less likely to reflect too much, however wearing a black t-shirt in summer may be a little against the joy of the season.
